The Barbarian’s Tribute (Not-So-Savage Barbarians #1)

Chapter 1

One

T he door to the library flew open, slamming against the wall so hard it bounced off and nearly hit my brother in the face as he followed behind my father. It was my brother’s quick action that saved him from the embarrassment. He slapped a hand on the surface, stopping it before it could hit him square on. My father ignored it, storming into the room with his eyes ablaze. I’d seen that look a hundred times in my lifetime. It never ended well for the person on the other end of it. He’d never looked at me like that before, though. Not until now.

“Tell me it isn’t true.”

My brows furrowed, and I pushed to my feet, the book I’d been reading still clutched in my hand. “What isn’t true?”

“Your brother says you’ve been shacking up with men! Tell me it isn’t true, Phineas!”

My blood ran cold and my gaze jerked to my brother. He still stood by the door, a cruel grin stretching over his face when he took in my panicked expression. That look disappeared in a flash when my father glared at him over his shoulder, only to return the minute he turned his back. He was enjoying this.

“Phineas!” my father demanded.

I whipped my gaze back to his, swallowing hard. I wasn’t sure how to answer. I could lie, but I doubted Fraser went to him without some kind of made up proof. Not knowing that proof left me at a disadvantage. I wasn’t sure if I was just digging myself deeper by arguing.

“I–” I started, only to be cut off by my father again.

“I should have known! Your continued refusal to wed wasn’t because you were waiting for the best deal for the family! You were only biding your time, weren’t you? Do you have any idea what would have happened if you had been caught! Do you care so little about humiliating your family?”

“I haven’t done anything!” I argued, my voice tight, with unshed tears swelling in my eyes. While it was true that I was attracted to men, I never touched one. I never even flirted with one. I didn't want anyone to find out.

A loud crack filled the air as my father backhanded me. I cried out, falling to the ground from the force. I’d always been the smallest, and it was times like these that I wished it was different. It only added to the fuel, my father’s furious eyes widening even further because of my reaction.

“You’re disgusting! I don’t know why I even thought you were a man! You’re a disgrace to this family!”

My vision blurred, and I had to duck my head to hide my tears. It would only make things worse.

“Father, perhaps you should sit down. Your health–” Fraser started, his voice filled with faux concern.

“Silence!” Father shouted at him. “Get the carriage ready. Now!”

Fraser knew better than to argue and disappeared to do as bid, leaving me alone with my father. I was afraid to move, terrified of the consequences if I did. I’d never earned my father’s wrath like this before. Disappointment, sure, on occasion. I could never make him proud by being small and quiet and wholly uninterested in things that most men were into. I didn’t hunt for sport, I didn’t fight or have dozens of women in my bed. I preferred to spend my time in the library or taking walks along the river. It annoyed him, but he never hated me for it. Not until now.

“I won’t allow this humiliation to stand, Phineas. You were already the runt of the family. You won’t drag our name through the mud by associating yourself with us any longer.”

Lifting my head slowly, I looked up at him. “Father–”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” he bellowed. “Get up! We’re leaving!”

I didn’t want to go. Whatever he had planned, it wouldn’t be good. Father never did half hearted punishments. He was angry enough to hurt me, so whatever he had planned once we walked out of this room would be worse than that. If I could just get him to listen, I could convince him Fraser was lying. I was fully prepared to spend the rest of my life alone. I wouldn’t have shamed our family name. I never should’ve trusted my secret to my brother.

When I didn’t move fast enough, Father took matters into his own hands. He fisted my short cropped curls, dragging me to my feet and out the door. I whimpered through the pain, dropping the book I’d been holding to grasp at his wrist. I wasn’t strong enough to get him to release me, nor was I brave enough to try. I just held on in hopes of easing the pain somehow. He didn't let go until we were outside. The carriage was already waiting, Fraser sitting in the box seat with a mock frown.

“Where to, Father?”

“The council estate. Be quick about it.” He shoved me into the carriage and followed after me, slamming the door behind him. Ever obedient, Fraser snapped the reins, forcing the horses into a gallop to get us there quickly.

It wasn’t a long trip, our home was close by, but it felt like it dragged on. I sat curled in on myself across from my father, trying to figure out why he was bringing me to the council estate. Did he want me to give up my ties to him publicly? Was he hoping they’d arrest me? I wasn’t sure, and the longer I went without knowing, the more panicked I felt.

“F-Father, I swear, I haven’t–”

“I’m not interested in your lies, Phineas,” he snapped. “Get out.”

We’d pulled up in front of the council estate while I tried to convince him to listen to me. I thought about refusing, forcing him to at least hear me out, but he didn’t wait around for me to make a scene. He fisted my hair again and dragged me out, ignoring the stares of everyone there that evening as he hauled me inside. With the angle I was at, I couldn’t keep track of where we were going until he forced me into the mayor’s office, throwing me forward so that I collapsed to the ground.

“Here’s your volunteer for the next tribute.”

My breath froze in my chest and I whipped my head up, looking at the men sitting at the round table. The men who decided who was handed off to the barbarian clan who passed through every year, in exchange for them leaving us alone.

The mayor, a portly man with a thin mustache, frowned at my father. “You’re volunteering your own son?”

“He’s no son of mine,” Father hissed. “And I’ll not have him in my house a moment longer.”

The town marshal tipped his head, looking at my father like he’d grown two heads. “They want women to service them. Why would we–”

Father shot me another hateful look before turning back to the group. “Given what proclivities Phineas has, I’m sure he’ll be able to fill that role. At least sending him, we won’t lose an actually beneficial member to our society.”

All eyes swung to me and looks of disgust twisted in their expressions. I choked back a sob, still on my hands and knees where my father had thrown me. I kept casting around for ideas of how to stop this, but I came up blank.

“Is there proof?” the mayor asked. “I won’t have him sent along only for him to cause trouble for us. Our alliance with those dirty barbarians is thin already.”

“Yes, your honor,” Fraser said, stepping forward from where he’d stood in the doorway. “He told me himself.”

Shame made my face burn. I did tell him, and I regretted it immensely. After coming home from another ball empty handed, without any women to court, Father lost his temper with me and called me useless. I’d barely choked back the tears until I got to my room. Fraser found me there sobbing. I wasn’t sure how to get Father to leave it alone. And I was scared I’d be forced into a relationship with a woman eventually, knowing I wouldn’t be able to touch them that way. It honestly repulsed me. Fraser had played the comforting brother, patting my shoulder and urging me to speak to him. He said he wanted to help, but he couldn’t until he knew what was going on. I suspected he already had his suspicions. All he needed was a confirmation, and I literally spelled it out for him. He said he’d help me, that he’d find a way to get Father to turn his attention away from me. I never thought he’d go so far as to sell me out to the barbarians.

“Well, then I guess we’ve got ourselves a volunteer,” the mayor said, pushing to his feet. He moved to stand over me, a sneer on his face. “You’re doing our town a great service by sacrificing yourself to the cause. Do us all a favor and do what’s needed to keep them happy. If they bring you back, you’ll face the noose instead. We don’t want any of your kind tainting our town.”

They gave me no chance to defend myself. No option but to accept their demands or die. And two days later, I found myself with my wrists bound, standing just inside the gate to town, staring down the stampede that was barreling toward us. I should have never trusted my brother. I shouldn’t have trusted anyone. Now, thanks to my family, I was going to die. There was no way they’d want anything to do with me. It’d be lucky if they didn’t take it as an insult that the town offered me instead of a woman.

As the barbarian representatives came closer, I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to watch what happened next. I just wanted it all to be over. Maybe, if I was behaved enough, they’d make it quick when they killed me.